[shakthamac]

I'm pretty sure that it took place in the Pacific, but not sure exactly what class of DD it was, or even if it was a DD and not maybe just a DE. Wildcats were the planes that supposedly did this. Granted, it was definitely the exception rather than the rule.

probably the incident you are thinking of would be when Wildcats from VMF-211 hammered the Japanese invasion force at Wake island. They did in fact sink a DD, but it was by dropping bombs and/or setting fire to the fantail where the depth charges were stored.

No .50 or 20mm round is going to threaten a DD's hull. Sure, ill concede that maybe, maybe, a round might have penetrated the hull, certainly they penetrated the superstructure, but lets be realistic here.

I can't even recall an incident where any B-25 strafer sank a DD with gunfire, including those equipped with the 75mm cannon.

Realistically, .50 cal and 20mm gunfire could potentially sink a wooden hulled Jap patrol craft, but seldom did. Thats why PT-Boats in the SWPA shipped a 40mm Bofors on the stern later in the war, and they were only engaging Jap barges.